The first concert of 2023 welcomes back Michael Stewart, Director of Music at St Paul’s Cathedral in Wellington. He will be joined by 100 singers from the Auckland Youth Choir with David Squire at the helm and young organist Zosia Herlihy-O’Brien who is about to head to London's Royal Academy of Music.
Organ and choir is a natural combination and this concert promises to be a great celebration of favourite organ works and exciting choral pieces.
For organ fans, there’s a Bach-Vivaldi concerto, Mendelssohn Sonata, Howells’ Rhapsody, and Boëllmann Toccata while the choir will perform works by Brahms, Mendelsohn, and Hamilton.
In recognition of Mother's Day on 14th May, the Magnificat, a piece dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus, will be performed. This prayer has been set to music by many composers; one of the great settings is that of J S Bach. The introduction to this work will be sung by the AYC chamber choir.
To mark the Coronation of King Charles III a week earlier, you’ll hear some of the great royal ceremonial music: Handel’s Zadok the Priest composed for the coronation of King George II, Walton’s Crown Imperial, for George VI, and Vaughan Williams’ stirring version of the Old 100th which he wrote for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
And to top it off, there’s a world premiere! Auckland composer Takerei Komene’s new work for choir and organ He Tamaiti ō te Ao Tukupū will have its first performance.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the mighty Auckland Town Hall Organ alongside the city’s leading young voices.
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About the Organists
Michael Stewart holds a Bachelor of Music degree with First Class Honours from the University of Canterbury and a Master of Music degree from Montreal’s McGill University. He is also Music Director of the Tudor Consort and Deputy Music Director of the National Youth Choir.
Zosia Herlihy-O’Brien is concertmaster of the Auckland Youth Orchestra. The organ is one of her many musical interests. Later this year she heads to the Royal Academy of Music in London for post-graduate study.
About the Choir
Long-time Musical Director of the NZ National Youth Choir David Squire has just been appointed Music Director of the Auckland Youth Choir. This concert will be his first with the AYC. The Auckland Youth Choir is a mixed-voice youth choir of singers aged 16-27 from across Auckland. It offers young singers a broad musical and choral experience, singing varied repertoire. The choir was set up in 1984 to bridge the gap between school and adult choirs and now has over 120 singing members.
